knowles



(No Model.)

B. KNOWLES.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY STARTING STEAM PUMPS.

I Illlllrr 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

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N. PETERS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

E. KNOWLES. VALVE MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIGALLY STARTING STEAM PUMPS.

No. 395,908. Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

ERNEST KNOWL 1S,

OF MOSSFIELD MILL, BOLTON, COUNTY OF LANCASTER,

ENGLAND.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY STARTING STEAM-PUMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,908, dated January 8, 1889.

Application filed July 21, 1888. Serial No. 280,596. (No model.) Patented in England April 5, 1888, No. 5,072.

To aZZ whom it may cancer/t.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST KNowLEs, cotton-spinner, of )Iossfield Mill, Bolton, in the county of Lancaster, England, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented new and useful Improvements in Valve Meclr anisin t'or Automatically Starting Steam- Pumps, (tor which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 5,072, dated April 5, N88,) of which the followingis a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide novel mechanism for automatically starting a Worthington or other pump by the reduction of liquid pressure in a hydraulic cylinder designed to connect with a system of sprink lers or like devices which distribute a fire-extinguishing liquid. This object I accomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l. is a vertical sectional elevation of the valve mechanism illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a plan view; Fig. l, a section on the line A 3, Fig. I; Fig. 5, a section on theline G D, Fig. 1.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein The letter A indicates the valve-casing; B, the valve; I, the valve-seat; C, the valvespindle; l), the inlet branch; E, the outlet branch; F, the hydraulic cylinder connected to the sprinkler-installation by the pipe G;

II II are standards for carrying the hydraulic cylinder and other parts from the valve-casing A, by which the whole is selfcontained.

The valve-casing A is provided with the steam-cylinder J under the valve B and seat I, which is equal in. area to the diameter of the under side of the valve B when the latter is closed, by which a perfect equilibrium is obtained. The cylinder J is fitted with the piston K, coupled to the bottom end of the valvespindle C. The piston K can be fitted with the rings L, which are operated by internal springs to insure the same being perfectly steam-tight. Any other kind or make of piston may be employed. On the upper side of the hydraulic cylinder F is mounted the spring 0, operated upon or compressed by the nut- P 011 the spindle C.

This invention operates as follows: In set ting this apparatus the steam-valve B is held down upon its seat I by the pressure in the sprinkler-installation beingimparted to the top side of the hydraulic piston ill in the cylinder F, the same being supplied by the pipe G. Immediately the pressure in the sprinkler-installation is reduced by the sprinklers coming into action or other causes the press ure is reduced proportionately in the hydraulic cylinder ,F, and when the same is redueed sut'liciently to allow the spring 0 to overcome it the steam stop-valve B is opened and steam is admitted through the same from the inlet branch D to the outlet branch E, the latter communicating with the underside of the piston K by means of the bypass R, by which the piston K and valve B are placed in equilibrium, thus allowing of the spring 0 maintaining the stop-valve B in an open position to supply the necessary steam to drive the pump supplying the sprinkler-installation with water or liquid. The valve-spindle Cis in two parts, the ends being screwed and connected by the nuts S, which forms a drip-dish to receive water or liquid that may escape from the under side of the hydraulic cylinder F, the water or liquid being conducted therefrom by the drippipe T to any convenient position or place. Condensed steam or water is conducted from the under side of the steampiston K by the pipe V, which may be connected to a steam-trap or its equivalent.

Owing to a regulation enforced by fire-insurance companies, it is absolutely necessary that the orthington or other pump be kept o constantly on the move to insure the same starting when necessary, or, in the case of a rotary engine or engines, to keep the cylinder 0r cylinders warm, so as to avoid breakage or accident when suddenly called into action. This regulation entails the supply of a small quantity of steam continually. This Iac'complish without opening the stop-valve B by providing the inlet and outlet passages with the openings \V and connecting the same by Ice the valve X, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, amt desire to seeure Irv Let'- ters Patent, is

The eomhilmtiion ot' a valve-easing 'lmviug' 2L prt ijeeti 11g stlezuleqvl in (ler and provided it h an inlet and. outlet, :1 vnlvwsentz :nul. u Irvpuss eonueetiug' the outer eiul ot the streamevlintler with the stiezun-mitlet, n steztm- (lrnulie eylint ler loeztt'etl ntljneent t'othe valveeusing :unl having :1 liquid-supply pipe t'or eonneeting \vitih littliltl-tlit-lt'llHltlllg sprinklers, 2L piston in the lrvtlraulie e vlimler movetl Irv the liquid pressure therein, a valve-spintllt eonueotetl with the piston in thelrvtlrz'tiulie e vlintler hnvingn vnlve to elose on the vnlvw sent and extending through the valve-sent to 

